Another incredible talent joins Heaven's band....

                                                Fly high, songbird, fly high...

  "The positivity is what we need to hang onto. Cornell and I eventually got to the biggest thing he learned from battling those demons – and it’s a great lesson for all men. For him, coming out on the other side of a dark place meant having to open up, not shut down...." .

The scary thing is that the sufferer is not always aware of slipping deeper into the abyss. 

My struggle with anxiety was moderate, attributed more to situational depression. At its worst though, the symptoms were eerily similar. I had no awareness of "shutting down" by isolating myself for days and weeks at a time. 

Falling into a dangerously counter-productive pattern, I subconsciously fled external values and judgments as well as painful losses beyond my control. Escapism as a means of self-preservation was futile, however. The internal struggle always remained. I was desperate to turn-off the relentless negative noise of my own inner voice buzzing unmercifully.

To survive, we must have faith in the kindness of reputable strangers: Suicide Prevention Lifeline .